Remembering
by KaiaLuna
Summary: The war rages on for three years and at its end all he can do is forget so that with each returning memory he can hold her again in his arms and maybe this time change the end, or at least imagine it changed.


**Everything recognizable is credited to J.K Rowling. This is my first HP fanfic. I've been away from the site for a while getting my writing groove back and thought a Twilight break might help. Hope you all like it though its short and not my best it was an idea playing in my head. Please review.**

"What?" Hermione's head shot up from the book she was flicking through.

"I said, mom caught Ron and Lavender Brown going at it in the shed." Ginny repeated with a giggle. "

"Why is she here?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"Ron invited her to the wedding." Harry shifted uncomfortably.

"Right." Hermione nodded looking back down at the book.

"Mione?"

"You should go get ready Harry." She told him flicking the page absently.

"Oh, ok." Harry got up and left the room going to Ron's to change into his dress robes.

"We should get ready too." Ginny suggested quietly.

"Relax Gin. I'm not upset." Hermione told her friend, closing the book.

"Well I didn't think you still liked him or I wouldn't have blurted it out like that."

Hermione shook her head, "I don't. I was just surprised he went back to her."

"Right." Ginny nodded, "Me to."

The girls went about getting ready for Bill's wedding slowly. Fleur wasn't here yet so they weren't to worried about rushing.

Two hours later they were sitting in the living room. Molly glaring at Ron and Lavender who sat to one side.

"Well," Charlie sighed, "How about some lunch mum?"

"Oh, yes, alright."

Molly stood up and disappeared into the kitchen, Ron and Lavender both visibly relaxing.

"Where do you think they are?" Ginny whispered.

Hermione shrugged, "They have to be here soon."

They weren't though; neither the bride nor groom showed up at all that day and that night Death Eaters attacked.

Hermione, Harry and Ron escaped and began their horcrux hunt.

When Ron took off on them, Hermione and Harry kept searching, for two years the duo kept moving, fighting Death Eaters and helping to move survivors to safety all while hunting and destroying the fragments of Voldemort's soul. Until finally there was only one left. Harry.

Holed up in Hogwarts with the rest of the resistance, they finally met up with the Weasley family again. Percy was killed, Fred had lost an eye and Charlie was married. Ron admitted to trying to find them again, apologizing for leaving them. He was readily forgiven but the three found it difficult to reconnect. Harry and Hermione secluded themselves from most people.

"You need anything?"

Hermione turned to the speaker and smiled, "Bill, how are you?"

He shrugged, "Ready for this to be over."

She nodded, "Soon." With that, her attention went back to the land surrounding the castle.

"Keeping watch?"

Hermione shrugged, "Not really."

"You don't think they'll attack here?" He asked scanning the edge of the woods.

"They will. My guess is tonight."

"Tonight?" Bill shot a worried glance to her.

Hermione shrugged, "Tonight or tomorrow. Harry is ready."

"Should we tell the others?"

Hermione shook her head. "Harry and I are hoping to finish it before they break through the castle defenses. We'll leave soon."

"You don't seem scared."

"I am."

Bill sat next to her, "Hermione?"

"Why didn't you show up for your wedding?" She asked him.

"My wedding?" Bill was surprised at the seemingly random question. "Didn't you hear?"

Hermione shook her head and met his eyes, "Harry and I are a bit out of the loop. Nothing happened to Fleur did it?"

Bill shook his head. "Werewolf senses happened." Hermione frowned and tilted her head in thought. "I could smell him on her."

"Him?" She asked.

"Fleur slept with Viktor Krum the night before the wedding."

"I didn't know he was in England then."

Bill watched her in fascination, "No I'm so sorry Bill and pitying smile?"

She turned to him, her eyes catching his, "At least it was before you married her." She said with a shrug.

Bill nodded, "Viktor came to find you I guess. She met him outside the house. She swore it was a one time thing and it didn't mean anything."

"He died at the battle in Brighton."

Bill nodded, "I heard. I'm sorry."

Hermione nodded and turned back to the woods, "We weren't a couple. I know he still wanted us to be but I didn't love him like that. I was sorry to lose a friend though."

They sat in silence for a little bit, Bill just watching her.

"You're different." He hadn't really meant to say it out loud.

Hermione turned to him, "Aren't we all?"

Bill nodded, "I guess we are."

She turned back to the woods, "Did you forgive her? Are you married now?"

Bill shook his head though she couldn't see, "I wanted to forgive her."

Hermione nodded and then turned and got up, "Its almost time."

He looked out at the woods but it was dark and silent, nothing different than it had been when he'd first come to sit near her.

"Be careful."

She nodded, "Bill?"

"Yeah?"

She moved towards him and leaned down to press her lips against his. His hand went up to her head to hold her there, his tongue snaking out to taste her bottom lip. When he did, she parted her lips and the kiss quickly become passionate. She slipped into his lap, straddling him and his hand tangled in her hair, tilting her head for better access. He felt his cock stiffen and she began to rock gently against him.

He groaned as she pulled back but all she did was pull his shirt over his head. Then her hands and mouth were on his chest. He growled and pulled her mouth back up to his. He felt her little hand lower to his lap and his cock strained painfully against his pants. Then he felt the cold air reach his naked flesh before her hot little hand ran over his length. He moaned, panting and realized he should stop this. Then she shifted again and her wickedly tight heat wrapped around him as she sank onto him. All thought left him then and he gripped her hips tightly, reveling in the feel of her. He felt his eyes roll back in his head as she began to ride him. All he could do was grip her hips and moan as her muscles clenched around him while she rocked against him seeking her release. He began to thrust up into her but fought the growing need to come until she clenched around him in a vise like grip and came with a moan of her own. His name on her lips as she gripped him was the final straw and he snapped shooting his seed into her as he shuddered his own release. Her head dropped to the crook of his neck and they sat panting in silence for a moment. He was about to say something when he felt her lips on his neck. The kiss was gentle and sweet. Then she rose out of his lap. His now soft cock slipping out of her with a liquid sound. With the flick of her wand, her fitted cargo pants were again covering her long legs and her feet incased in her black military boots.

She turned and left him without a word. Bill tucked himself back in his pants and ran a hand through his shaggy hair, his mind running over the events in an endless loop. He had just fucked Hermione Granger. No she had fucked him. On the roof of Hogwarts. Bill puffed out a breath and went to find her. They had to talk.

When he went down though, he found the castle in an uproar and his mother sobbing.

"What's going on?" Bill asked Charlie as he pulled out his wand and rushed over.

"Hermione and Harry are gone." Charlie told him.

"Gone?" Bill breathed.

"They've gone to finish it." Ron sounded shocked.

"What?" Bill demanded.

"That's what the note said." Ginny sniffled. "They've gone to finish it."

Bill needed to sit down. An hour ago, he'd gone to the roof to check on Hermione. She'd rocked his world. Now she was gone. It was all a little too much to process.

The battle at Hogwarts started with the dawn. To many people lost their lives but in the end, Hermione and Harry did finish it, apparating into the middle of the battle with the body of Voldemort himself. Everyone froze in shock. Then the duo began to shoot spells at the Death Eaters and battle commenced again. At the end of it, the light came out the victors.

In the aftermath of battle, Bill didn't see Hermione.

In the month since the battle, he hadn't seen her. He thought about her everyday, dreamt about her, about that night on the roof, every night. He was half convinced he'd imagined it all.

It was during the rebuilding of Hogwarts that he finally saw her. She was laughing with Ginny as they worked spells to repair damage to the Great Hall. He watched her from the doorway until she said something else to Ginny and walked away. He followed her.

She led him up to the roof, to the same spot he'd last spoken with her.

She was looking out over the woods when he came outside. It was sunny and warm, instead of dark and cool, but her position was the same as before.

"Hello Bill." She turned to him after a moment.

"Hermione." He breathed. All the things he wanted to say to her and he couldn't think of them now.

She got up and walked over to him, her hand ran up his chest and Bill found himself kissing her, his hands pulling her closer as he tangled his hand in her hair. She moaned into his mouth and he moved his hands to her hips, picking her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he moved them so her back was against the wall of the roof. He rocked his erection into her and she moaned again. The next time he did it, he found his cock sliding along her dripping folds. Both of their clothes vanished, like in a dream.

"Do it. Please. Bill." She moaned kissing his shoulder.

He sank into her wet heat, burying himself in one thrust and making her moan again.

Bill began to pump in and out of her, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she encouraged him to take her harder.

Bill growled and spun them around, dropping to his knees and laying her on her back. He began to fuck her in earnest. Growls, grunts and moans filling the air with her screams of "Yes, Bill, oh, please, more, fuck me, Bill."

She came violently with a scream of his name and as soon as she clamped down he couldn't hold on and shot into her with a grunt. He collapsed on top of her both of them panting heavily. He rolled so she was sprawled over his chest and tried to make his brain function again but his eyes felt heavy.

When he woke the sun was low in the sky, his clothes had been magicked back on and he was alone. He sat up and ran an agitated hand through his hair looking around for her but she was gone. Bill hurried down the steps of the castle.

"Oh Bill, there you are." Molly stopped him. "I was wondering where you'd got off to. Is everything alright?"

"Huh, yeah, fine. Have you seen Hermione?"

Molly frowned at her eldest son in concern, her voice was gentle as she spoke, "Hermione died Bill, you know that."

Bill shook his head at his mother; her eyes were laced with tears.

"She was just helping Ginny fix the Great Hall a few hours ago." He insisted.

His mother shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks.

Bill stepped back shaking his head. "No."

"Bill." He saw the concern on his family's faces.

"No." He repeated.

"She was killed in the final battle mate." Ron stepped towards his brother, his voice shaking with emotion. "She and Harry went after Voldemort. He was the final Horcrux, remember. They let him kill Harry and then" his voice had cracked, "then she killed Voldemort."

"Bellatrix shot her with the killing curse, in front of the castle, when she came back with the bodies." His mother finished for Ron. "Ginny got in the way." Her voice broke and his father wrapped her in his arms.

Bill shook his head no again but even as he did his mind went back to that day. To the middle of the battle when Hermione had apparated back with Harry in her arms, a cry went up from the Death Eaters that Voldemort was dead and Bellatrix turned her wand on Hermione. Ginny running to save her friend and getting hit with the curse. Hermione and Bellatrix battling. Hermione falling. His mother hitting Bellatrix with killing curse a moment to late.

The heroes were laid to rest beside the black lake.

Bill felt tears sting his eyes as he sank to the ground.

Charlie came over, his hand on his brothers shoulder as he knelt beside him. "Come on mate. I'll take you home."

Bill shook his head but let his brother help him to stand and lead him towards the stairs. As they descended he heard musical laughter and looked to see Hermione and Ginny flicking spells at Harry. They turned to look at him, all of them smiling. Harry wrapped an arm around Ginny and they disappeared. Hermione waved at him, her smile serene and disappeared as well.

Back home Bill sank into a chair and turned to look out the window.

"I'll come check on you tomorrow." Charlie spoke softly from the door. Bill didn't answer him. He never did.

Charlie left the cottage and found Fleur waiting for him.

"How ees he?"

Charlie shrugged, "We thought going to the castle might help." He looked back at the door, behind which his brother would still be sitting staring sightlessly outside. "He forgot they were dead." Charlie ran a hand through his hair. He disappeared and then twenty minutes later he comes down and asks mom where Hermione is, says he saw her a few hours ago with Ginny."

Fleur sighed, tears stinging her eyes. "E still cannot see anyzing though?"

Charlie shook his head, "Completely blind. The Healer says he'll never see again."

"Does he remember anyzing about her or ze baby today?"

Charlie shook his head, "I don't think so."

Fleur sighed. "I almost weesh he didn't get zem back. Thees part memories of her are to much torture. Remembering and forgetting and remembering, maybe we should let eem forget."

Charlie shrugged, "I don't know." He sighed, "Will you be ok with him?"

Fleur nodded, "I weel take care of heem."

"Thanks for helping out Fleur. Mum cant stand the thought of him permanently at the hospital. We keep hoping he'll just remember everything and start to get better."

"I am 'appy to 'elp. We deed not work but I zill loved eem and she and 'arry zarificed everyzing for us. I can spend zum time healing ze man she loved. You take care of youzelf and ze family now. I weel be fine wiz eem." She hugged her once almost brother and walked into the house. She moved over and kissed Bill's temple. He didn't move and as sad as it was she preferred him like this, it was to hard when he'd talk to her, tell her how beautiful she was and how much he was looking forward to their wedding and how grateful he was she still loved him with the scars.

Bill sat staring sightlessly out the window. In his head, he saw Hermione in a white dress walking towards him by the black lake. He heard her tell him she was pregnant and saw her tummy just starting to round with their child.

After she'd come back from her mission with Harry that first night they'd been together, after they'd killed Nagini, the second to last Horcrux, she'd snuck into his room, into his bed and they'd made love. He remembered the year he spent with her and the baby they almost had. He remembered making love to her on the roof and then her disappearing for one last mission. She never told him the last Horcrux was Harry. The two of them kept that painful secret, plotting the end of the war, the end of Voldemort through the end of Harry. She'd gone, even with the baby, standing by Harry's side until the end. Now she was gone. He remembered everything.

Bill heard gentle humming. Fleur. What had he been thinking about?

"You look beautiful today Fleur."


End file.
